|
Habs come back to defeat Oilers 4-1 & collect 6 of 8 points on the road |
|
|
|
|
|
The Montreal Canadiens concluded their four game road trip in style, coming back from a 1-0 deficit in the third period to ultimately defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 at Rogers Place on Sunday night. It was the tenth time this season that the Canadiens have been able to come from behind after forty minutes and win the game. A statistic in which they lead the entire NHL. While the team would certainly prefer not to be down in the game, it is certainly comforting and good for their confidence to know that they have the ability to consistently battle back and come out victorious. That trait could very well come in handy come playoff time.
For a team thats players were stricken with the flu at various times for much of their road trip, to have collected six of a possible eight points would certainly be considered to be a success. While as a group they were previously slow and lethargic against the Calgary Flames in their 5-0 loss at the Scotiabank Saddledome, the Canadiens were able to turn it around and found their legs against the Oilers, outshooting them by a margin of 41-25. Milan Lucic won his latest battle with Alexei Emelin as he outmuscled him to score the Oilers first and only goal of the game in the second period. Paul Byron finally solved Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot and scored to tie the game at one apiece with less than eight minutes left in the game. Just over a minute later Max Pacioretty scored his 32nd goal of the season and seventh game winner of the season. He and Byron would each add an empty net goal to make it a 4-1 final.
Perhaps most Impressively, the Canadiens were able to shut down the high flying Oilers twice this season, having allowed just one goal in regulation as well as one shootout goal. They have held Connor McDavid pointless in their two game series and did not allow any of their former players such as David Desharnais, Benoit Pouliot or Zack Kassian to come back and bite them as has so often been the case…
Puck props and flops:
Props:
Paul Byron - That Byron even played was impressive enough as he was previously deemed questionable for the game, the Canadiens latest victim of the flu. He recorded his first ever three point night in the NHL with two goals and an assist as his drought seems to be officially over. It took some time but Byron has regained his confidence and is once again using his speed to his advantage and is much more actively engaged in the play. With five points in his last five games, four of which were goals, Byron now has 18 goals on what is is already a career best season. A 20 goal season once again appears to be within reach.
Carey Price - With 24 saves against the Oilers, Price now has a save percentage of .952 since the Canadiens bye week, AKA when Claude Julien took over from Michel Therrien behind the bench. Also in that same span, Price has won seven of his last nine games including his last six starts in a row. Not to mention that he has not allowed more than two goals in a game under the reign of Julien. He is so cool and confident in net and that is contagious as the rest of the team knows that they have their elite goaltender back to playing at his usual high level of play.
Brendan Gallagher - Despite playing just 12:34 minutes against the Oilers, Gallagher gave it his all on every shift. While it has personally been a rough season for Gallagher, he has been looking more like his old self as of late, irritating opposing goaltenders and much more involved on the forecheck. It was his initial aggressiveness and check that led to Byron’s first goal as he battled to get the puck to Phillip Danault who in turn fed Byron a perfect pass, leading him to walk in on Talbot and score the game tying goal. Gallagher also had six shots on net. He just needs to keep up this level of play and the points will surely come.
Max Pacioretty - With his 32nd and 33rd goals of the season, Pacioretty now has 60 points in 69 games and is just four points from matching his total of 64 points from the 2015-2016 regular season. While he had gone five games without a goal, Pacioretty has not gone more than two games without recording a point since mid November. His consistency has been impressive as he has been finding ways to contribute, regardless of his linemates and center. In the third period Julien finally reunited Pacioretty with Alex Galchenyuk and Alexander Radulov. While it is understandable that the coach wanted to avoid putting all of his eggs in one basket so to speak, the bottom line is that the Canadiens need goals and putting their three most offensively talented players together on the same line is certainly a recipe for success.
Flops:
Alexei Emelin - His gaffe at the Oilers blue line led to Lucic easily outworking him and scoring the Oilers only goal of the game. Emelin was extremely fortunate that the Canadiens were able to successfully defend his double minor penalty for high sticking in the second period. Already down a goal, the momentum of the game would have certainly changed had the Oilers been able to take advantage of their opportunities… Despite his poor play and penalty, Emelin played 17:35 minutes against the Oilers, over four minutes more than Nathan Beaulieu. How many more chances will Julien give the veteran before once again giving Brandon Davidson or Nikita Nesterov an opportunity to play?
The Canadiens powerplay - Once again the Canadiens came up empty with the man advantage. They continue to look disorganized and uninspired with the extra time and space that they supposedly have. With Radulov back in the lineup, associate head coach Kirk Muller once again went back to the four forward formation with Pacioretty on the point alongside Shea Weber. The four forward strategy has yet to work but it just seems as though the Canadiens are insistent on pushing it. The last two powerplay goals that the team scored were by Galchenyuk in overtime. The team has just six powerplay goals in their last twenty games and 52 opportunities. It is time to hit the reset button.
--
The six points in the bank from the road trip have allowed them to more or less keep pace with the Ottawa Senators who briefly occupied first place in the Atlantic division until the Canadiens defeated the Oilers. With 86 points and thirteen games left to play in the 2016-2017 regular season, the Canadiens grip on the Atlantic is tenuous as they look ahead to their back to back games against the Senators this coming weekend. The Senators are just two points behind the Canadiens, good for second place in the division and hold the advantage with two games in hand. Before that though, the Canadiens will have a tough test as they focus on the task at hand and host the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.
Cheers and follow along!
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»